🔗 Share this article The city's Chief Executive Orders Probe into Fatal Blaze that Claimed Lives of 151 Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people. Video depicts speed of blaze propagation in Hong Kong high-rise. A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale Last Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards. A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm. "This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," he said. Investigation and Aftermath The fire—advancing with speed both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it ignited, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to contain. The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the probe could last approximately a month. The fire is the worst the metropolis has seen in over 70 years. Systemic Failures Identified Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a smoke detector when the incident erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning. Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects. Calls for Inquiry and Arrests In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a gathering demanding an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive amassed more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its page was taken down. Another two individuals, including a ex-local representative, were also questioned by officers, according to local media reports. The city's leader John Lee stated that the committee would be headed by a judge. International Reaction The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the said apprehensions. "This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization. Historical Context and Demographics Wang Fuk Court was constructed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 occupants, according to a population count. Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate from its inception. Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees died.